Eleora Etherium
Or ... perhaps it had been forgotten for the same reason that no one could spin straw into gold. It was too ancient, and too disordered. Perhaps it was just that the magic was a little wild. — Anxiety Eleora is the eldest of three girls born to Fergus and Audra Asperhand. As a child she was largely ignored by her parents; her younger sisters were entirely ignored. Girls in her family are viewed as pawns, and if not for meeting Artemidoros Etherium in her first year she might very well have turned into the perfect pawn; instead she became a progressive and very confident young woman. The Asperhand Family : Perhaps I should have told you about our family long ago, but they do leave us out of it and so it is easy not to see. Women are property, you know this — but instead of casting off a disgrace, she is destroyed. There are very few exceptions, and our Uncle does not make them. ''— I'm an awful sister The Asperhand family is an old pureblood family, primarily Welsh but related to families in Ireland, Scotland, and England as well. The males of the family have a tendency towards dark magic and using any means possible to control their family and stay on top both socially and financially. Women in the family are treated as pawns towards these ends. As such, women in particular are treated as disposable, and the family generally will not hesitate to do away with a female who is merely inconvenient. Those outside the family or anyone who threatens the welfare of the family are likewise removed. One thing that the Asperhands generally do not seek is political power; they have no real desire to control the world around them and instead are content to have control and comfort within the family. Frequently men in the family will go their whole lives without working, and the family finances are renewed either through marraige or through the occasional exceptional member of the family. The current head of the family is Ewan Asperhand, Eleora's uncle; his son, Micheil, is eleven years older than Eleora and already has two children, the surviving one of which is a boy named Beathan. The Etherium Family : ''Then Artemidoros said that he thought he had been in one of the pyramids, and thoughts of Meer possibly purposefully changing himself to change his animagus form suddenly seemed less important. "You '''think' you were in Egypt?" She tried to keep her voice calm and lady-like, she really did, but Eleora could not quite manage to keep her voice entirely restrained. He thought he was in Egypt for a while. Inside one of the booby-trapped pyramids. She wasn't even (very) distracted by the promise of a book on animagus transformations. Her fiance thought he had been in one of the pyramids. "How in Merlin's name did you get there that you had no idea where you were?" — Anxiety The family which Eleora married into is, in many ways, the opposite of her natal family. While the Asperhands are an old family, the Etheriums are even older ... older, and with deep traditions which touched on old and forgotten magics. Even married into the family Eleora has not begun to know everything about the family, and she does not pretend to know. She does fit into the family quite well, as many of them are as esoteric and academic as she is. Etherium Nobility There are two noble titles held by the Etherium family. The first, that of Duke of the Magical Forests of England and Ireland, is held by Meerletalis Etherium (cousin of Eleora's husband); the second, that of Earl of the Enchanted Forests of Scotland and Wales, is held by Artemidoros. Since 1877, these are the only truly socially acceptable titles within magical society. The titles (originally one title and later split) was earned by a long ago ancestor of the Etheriums, who saved the then-king from a magical creature. He was rewarded with nobility, but the family is not and never has been in the line of succession. Because the titles are both do not place the family in line for the throne and are clearly magical, the Etherium family kept their titles when other magical families who had gained noble titles had them stripped from them by Queen Victoria. Biography Pre-Hogwarts Eleora's earliest years were spent on her paternal grandparents' estate; after the birth of her younger twin sisters and her mother's third pregnancy, her maternal grandparents died in an accident — an accident that she would not know had been arranged by her paternal grandfather until she was much older. The strain caused her mother to lose the baby she was carrying. Her family then moved to the Gavin estate in Wales, near Snowdon. Eleora has very fond memories of her home there, and of the view she had outside her window of Welsh Greens flying over the mountains. Her mother primarily ignored her, and her father had almost as little apparent interest; however, her parents showed her more interest than they did her younger sisters. When Eleora showed definite signs of magic on her sixth birthday, her father got her a white pony named Calixte. She adored the pony, which was her real introduction to riding as a hobby. The pony would remain with her until after she began Hogwarts, and then Calixte was sold before she returned home for Christmas. School Years When Eleora was accepted to Hogwarts, her father presented her with a long strand of pearls and called her 'my little Slytherin'. She did not disappoint; despite being a hatstall who could easily have gone in Ravenclaw instead, Eleora chose to be sorted into Slytherin. She quickly proved to be very gifted in Transfiguration and so painfully bad at Potions that she was doing well to maintain a D. In addition to Transfiguration, Eleora did very well in Arithmancy, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her scores in Astronomy were mediocre because she is very much a morning person and frequently would find herself unable to stay awake for late night Astronomy classes. Herbology she could have done better in, but she has a strong aversion to dirt that prevented her from fully engaging in her lessons. She was glad to drop Astronomy, Potions, Herbology, and Muggle Studies for her N.E.W.T. levels — although in the case of Muggle Studies it was not because of a lack of interest or ability, but rather because she was receiving more detailed education from her future in-laws. Socially, Eleora did as expected. She made many acquaintances but few close friends. The closest of those was Zephyra Zane, who she met on the boat across the lake in first year. On her twelfth birthday, Eleora met Artemidoros Etherium, a boy in the year above her. This meeting proved to be a pivotal moment in Eleora's life; it was then that she began being less of a parrot for the ideals that she had heard from her father and more prone to think for herself. The two became very close friends, and eventually Artemidoros asked his family to begin negotiating a betrothal contract; the contract was finalized in December of 1877, when they were both fifteen. Eventually Artemidoros fell in love with Eleora, and then a year later she realized she loved him as well. In the spring of 1880, shortly before they were to separate for a year while Eleora completed her schooling, Artemidoros proposed. Given a chance to accept or decline the suit of her own will, Eleora accepted. In her seventh year, Eleora met and began tutoring a young boy named Declan Wood. Declan was a first year and Eleora wound up taking him under her wing. By the end of the year she promised employment to Declan and his family once she married Artemidoros. Animagus Transformation : ''Her first impression was of green. She was very green, although it was neither dull nor flat; rather her feathers were intensely shiny and even touched with iridescence in some areas. Below her long, thin, saber-like black beak was a patch of white feathers, and there were bluish patches on her shoulders. She shifted, the movement easy and natural, and saw that her wings and tail faded out toward black at the ends. : A hummingbird. She was a hummingbird. ''— Elements of Singularities Eleora began studying to become an animagus in her fifth year. She studied tirelessly for most of three years, and then on May 17, 1881 she completed the transformation in the presence of the Transfiguration Professor, Artemidoros, and her fiance's cousin Meer Etherium. Almost immediately upon completing her transformation, Eleora registered her animagus form with the Ministry of Magic. She considers becoming an animagus to be one of her greatest achievements, and she frequently uses the ability in dueling tournaments. However, Eleora does not use her ability to transform while with child, as she is unsure what effects being shunted off into Wizard Space would have on a developing fetus. Marriage : ''"Did you have any doubt that I would?" she whispered without looking back at the crowd. "Nothing could have kept me away from you." ''— Finally Eleora married Artemidoros Etherium on August 31, 1881 in a ceremony in Padmore Park. The wedding and reception were open to all, and appropriate attire was provided for those who could not afford it themselves. Eleora wore a Worth gown (pictured left), and was in addition to being a double ring ceremony the wedding was notable in that Eleora was asked if she was there willingly and given a chance to withdraw. It was only after she publicly stated she was marrying Artemidoros out of love that they were wed. The pair took a six week honeymoon via steam ship to New York. The trip was taken in the muggle fashion, and Artemidoros had recently purchased a large stake in the company that owned the ship. They spent two weeks in the New World, and the rest of the time on the ship. Upon returning to Hogsmeade, Eleora settled easily into married life. She fit well into the role of upper class pureblood wife, and she thrived in the social situation that she had been excpected all her life to fill. She quickly entered the social circles and began working with charities, as well as joining the Lady Morgana. Irvingly School : ''"The hope is that Irvingly School will allow the next generation a greater chance. With a greater opportunity for literacy and education, those who possess gifts of mind or magic can be discovered and offered a chance to exercise their gifts." — Countess Etherium in the Daily Prophet Education is a matter that is close to Eleora's heart. She is a strong believer that education allows people to reach their potential, and she began attempting to open some sort of school. The path was filled with roadblocks, and construction on the project would not begin until January of 1883 — a full year after she began attempting to get the project underway. The school would not open until January 7, 1884. The tuition is minimal and children from disadvantaged families can have it waved if they keep their grades high. The school is attached to the Floo Network, and children in Hogsmeade can travel through the Three Broomsticks or the Hog's Head if their homes are not connected to the Floo Network. Children are welcome to receive basic non-magical education from age five until they either begin Hogwarts or turn fifteen. Personality Intelligent and ambitious, Eleora possesses a good balance of Slytherin and Ravenclaw traits. Her ambitions are not so much grandiose as deeply personal; even though she would love to be thought of as socially great, she yearns more for a happy home and a loving family. She is very feminine, delicate with a fondness for fashion, music, and the language of the fans. Raised to be intensely proper, she only lets herself let her guard down around her family and close friends. There is a fragile, hopeful quality to her personality; however, she thrives in social situations even though she does not get close to people easily. Inheritance Eleora is an heiress twice over. Her mother was an only child, as was her maternal grandfather. Her grandfather's will specified that Audra's children would inherit after Audra, and so Eleora will inherit Gavin Manor and associated monies and properties after her mother's death. She is also the heir of her great aunt, Lettie Ainslie, who is the last living member of the Ainslie line. As of her seventeenth birthday Eleora has full control over the Ainslie estate and fortune, although legally her great aunt retains ownership until she has been gone seven years or her death is confirmed. Notable Relationships Artemidoros Etherium Ship name: Elemidoros. Eleora met Artemidoros, the Earl of the Enchanted Forests of Scotland and Wales, at Hogwarts where he was a year above her in Slytherin. He is a good match for her in all but height, as Artemidoros is nearly a foot taller than Eleora. They are both progressive, quirky, and highly intellectual. They were betrothed at fifteen on Artemidoros's request; it was after the fact that Artemidoros fell in love with Eleora and a year after that before Eleora would realize she was in love with Artemidoros. The pair married on August 31, 1881 in Padmore Park. Etana Mulciber In Eleora's opinion, Etana is the more level headed of her twin sisters. She has never had to worry about Etana, and so they have a much more sisterly relationship than Eleora enjoys with Evangeline. Etana married Vinzent Mulciber in September of 1883. Evangeline Rowle Eleora has always felt somewhat maternal towards Evangeline. Her sister's rebellious nature worries Eleora, and has lead to a great deal of pain and restriction in Evangeline's life. Eleora sometimes calls her sister Evangie, despite the fact that she almost never calls anyone by any sort of nickname. Evangeline had an ill-fated romance with Elias Grimstone from 1881 to 1883. She married Edward Rowle in March of 1884. Zephyra Zane Miss Zephyra Zane is an upper class pureblood that Eleora met on the boat to Hogwarts. The two quickly became friends, and Zephyra was Eleora's closest friend other than Artemidoros through school. Shortly after Eleora's wedding in August 1881, Zephyra went to live with family on the Continent, and the pair reconnected in 1883 when Zephyra returned to Hogsmeade. Although they are in very different places in life, the pair are still close. Lettie Ainslie Lettie River Ainslie, born 1809, was the older of two daughters born to Emerson and Sarra Ainslie. Her younger sister, Ivi Shevron, would go on to marry Hollis Gavin and produce a single daughter, Audra. Lettie herself never married. Eventually Lettie inherited from her parents, including a large home near Swansea called Ainslie Castle. She was distraught when her sister died, and pieced together what happened — although she was never able to prove anything. She swore the Asperhands would not get their claws on her family's money and property the way they had that of the Gavin family; she therefore bypassed Audra in her will in favor of Eleora. While Eleora was in school, Lettie contacted her and the two became close. Lettie shared her knowledge of what the Asperhand family was really like with Eleora, who also has never been able to act on any of it. Shortly after Eleora's seventeenth birthday Lettie disappeared, heading off for an adventure in Egypt and leaving her estate in Eleora's hands. Animals Calixte A female pony born in 1866, Calixte was a gift for Eleora in 1868 after she showed definitive signs of magic on her sixth birthday. The pony was Eleora's first real introduction to riding, which would become a lifelong hobby. She disappeared when Eleora first went off to Hogwarts, but Eleora later discovered that her father had sold her rather than keep around a "useless" animal that Eleora would only see over the Christmas and summer holidays. Aretha Born in 1874, Aretha was a female kitten that Eleora received when she started at Hogwarts. She is frequently described as an elegant Egyptian cat, and is a member of a breed first listed as Abyssinian in 1882. In Eleora's fifth year Aretha produced a litter of mixed-breed kittens when she escaped the Slytherin common room and went for an adventure for a few weeks. Aretha is energetic and playful, although she is perfectly capable of the same sort of good manners that most cats can exhibit when they choose to. She is getting upwards in years, and so is slower and less active than she used to be. Saoirse Eleora received Saoirse from Artemidoros as a Christmas gift shortly after their betrothal was finalized. She is an Akhal-Teke mare and was broken for riding and well trained before Eleora received her, and Saoirse has excellent manners. She was born in 1870, and has a palomino coat. She is fourteen hands tall, and Eleora rides her primarily aside. Eleora is also capable of riding astride and does so if it is more comfortable or convenient; however, she tends to keep riding astride to less public places such as the forest or the countryside. Saoirse is kept at the same residence as Eleora and great care is taken in her transport. Aderyn When Eleora bought an owl for the house, she chose a barn owl because she liked the clean look of them and the fact that their faces reminded her of a full moon. Aderyn is a well mannered bird most of the time, but occasionally he gets over-eager at his work and as a result delivers mail at inopportune times. He hatched in 1880 and was purchased in the fall of 1881 after the Etheriums returned from their honeymoon. Category:Characters